These homemade Chicken Nuggets (with sweet potato!) are an easy toddler dinner that parents will enjoy, too. They’re packed with nutrition and have a veggie right in the mix!
Homemade Chicken Nuggets
I know many kids love chicken nuggets, and they are a great option for easy meals that are filled with nutrients, including protein. And this homemade version also has sweet potato, for more flavor and nutrition.
If you start with ground chicken, rather than breast or thigh meat, you can get right to the mixing and shaping the nuggets, without any grinding or chopping of meat required. It’s such an easy method to make a favorite toddler chicken recipe.
Since the last thing you need is a fussy recipe that requires frying or standing by the stove, this homemade chicken nugget recipe is simply baked in the oven. I like to bake my chicken nuggets on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (or do them in an air fryer) so the cleanup is easy, too.
We like these for dinner with a simple veggie and carbohydrate like rice or pasta. My kids like these most when dipped in ketchup. We’ve also put them into tacos! (You can find my more classic chicken nuggets recipe to try, too.)
Your toddler won’t eat? Help is here!
Sign up for our email updates to get tips and ideas sent to your inbox.
Ingredients You Need
The beauty of this recipe is that it has only a few simple ingredients including the following items.
- Ground chicken: This is lean and mellow in flavor, which is a nice complement to the rest of the ingredients.
- Sweet potato: You’ll want to use fully cooked homemade mashed sweet potato or canned or jarred sweet potato puree.
- Bread crumbs: Plain or Italian-flavor both work, so use the one you prefer.
- Salt: This helps to even out the flavors. If you want to skip it for a baby, feel free.
- Onion powder: This is optional for additional flavor.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Gluten-free: To make these healthy chicken nuggets gluten-free, try these gluten-free bread crumbs from Ian’s.
- This recipe is egg-free, dairy-free, and nut-free, and it can be easily made gluten-free, so it’s a great dinner option for kids with food allergies.
- You can use panko or regular-style bread crumbs.
- You could use Mashed Butternut Squash in place of the sweet potato if that’s what you have on hand.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how a look at the process involved in making this recipe so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the end of the post for the full amounts and timing.
- Cook your sweet potato ahead of time. You can do this a few days ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge or the morning you plan to make these. Mash the cooled potato.
- Add the potato to a bowl with the ground chicken and salt. Add onion powder if using.
- Form into small balls, flatten slightly, and coat in bread crumbs.
- Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake.
TIP: The batter is slightly sticky, so you’ll want to wash your hands well once you have the nuggets formed!
How to Cook Sweet Potato
For the sweet potato, which adds moisture as well as vitamin A and fiber, you can either roast ahead of time, steam cubes, or use a slow cooker.
- To cook it quickly in the microwave: Simply peel, cube, and place it into a bowl of water. Microwave for 3-4 minutes or until soft. Drain and set aside.
- To roast the sweet potato: Poke the potato with a knife, place onto a foil-lined baking dish, and bake for 45-60 minutes at 400 degrees F or until soft.
- Here’s how to make mashed Sweet Potato in the Crockpot.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use plain bread crumbs or panko style, depending on what you have and what flavor you prefer. Panko style, which are slightly bigger pieces than traditional bread crumbs, tend to be a little crispier—which is great for older kiddos. Younger toddlers and babies may be able to handle the texture of regular bread crumbs better at first.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Reheat for 6-8 minutes in the oven at 375 degrees F or for about 15-30 seconds in the microwave. (They will crisp up in the oven and be soft when reheated in the microwave.)
Yes, they come out a little crispier and cook a little faster.
Serving Suggestions
You can really pair this chicken and sweet potato recipe with anything you and your toddlers like, though we tend to keep it simple with a side of rice and veggies, or rolls and fruit.
Feel free to keep it super basic and just balance it with other food groups—since the nuggets cover protein, you can add dairy, carbohydrates, and produce to round things out.
How to Store and Reheat
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Reheat for 6-8 minutes in the oven at 375 degrees F, about 4 minutes in a 375-degrees-F air fryer, or for about 15-30 seconds in the microwave. (They will crisp up in the oven and be soft when reheated in the microwave.)
Best Tips for Success
- Use traditional bread crumbs or panko-style. Panko will make the exterior a little crunchier.
- Use gluten-free bread crumbs if needed.
- Plan to prepare the sweet potato ahead of time so it has a chance to cool.
- Using this crock pot sweet potato method is super easy, though you can also roast it or steam it in the microwave.
- You can omit the salt if making these for a baby.
- Serve with ketchup or another favorite dip.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback if you try this recipe, so please comment below to share!
Homemade Chicken Nuggets (with Sweet Potato)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 cup mashed sweet potato (or fully cooked and cubed sweet potato)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder (optional; you could also add garlic powder or dried oregano)
- ½ cup regular or panko-style bread crumbs (plain or Italian-flavor)
Instructions
- Mash together the chicken, sweet potato, salt, and onion powder in a medium bowl with a potato masher or a large fork. Place the bread crumbs into a separate shallow bowl.
- Form the chicken mixture into 1-tablespoon-size balls and roll in bread crumbs.
- Flatten slightly (or form into tot-shapes) and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Optional: Spray or brush lightly with olive oil.
- Bake for 22-24 minutes at 375 degrees F or until golden brown on the bottom and cooked through.
- Remove from oven, let cool for a minute or two and serve warm.
- (To cook in an air fryer, place onto a greased tray or basket and cook for 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees F. I don't turn over in the middle of cooking.)
Equipment
Notes
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat for 6-8 minutes in the oven at 375 degrees F, about 4 minutes in a 375-degree-F air fryer, or for about 15-30 seconds in the microwave. (They will crisp up in the oven and be soft when reheated in the microwave.)
- You can also freeze fully cooked and cooled nuggets in a freezer bag with as much air removed as possible for up to 6 months. Heat the same as above.
- *To roast a medium sweet potato, wash and poke with a paring knife. (The holes will let steam escape.) Place on a foil-lined baking sheet or pan and bake for 45-60 minutes at 400 degrees F. Remove from oven, let cool, and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- *To steam a medium sweet potato, remove the skin with a vegetable peeler and dice the flesh. Place into a steamer basket in a pot filled with a few inches of water. Cover, bring water to a simmer, and cook for 6-8 minutes or until sweet potato is soft. Let cool before storing or using.
- Use traditional bread crumbs or panko-style. Panko will make the exterior a little crunchier.
- Use gluten-free bread crumbs if needed.
- Plan to prepare the sweet potato ahead of time so it has a chance to cool.
- You can omit the salt if making these for a baby.
Nutrition
This post was first published March 2018.
My 9 mo loved these! They were a great way for us to intro chicken, and I popped the extras in the freezer for future easy meals. I’m a vegetarian and was so glad I didn’t have to learn to cook an entire chicken to try this recipe.
I have a dinosaur cookie cutter. Do you think I could shape these into dino nuggets rather than tots?
You may need to chill the mixture first to make that easy enough to do. It might be too sticky otherwise.
I was sure my toddler would reject these because he’s not a fan of ground meat right now, BUT he loved these. I was actually shocked. I did add a bit more seasoning (garlic powder, paprika and pepper), but this is still a great recipe.
Glad to hear that!
Great recipe! mine look nothing like yours but my son still enjoyed them so that’s all that matters. i might have made them a little too big so that may be what made the difference so next time i’ll try making them a little smaller. Either way they came out great with a beautiful soft moist texture.
Doubled the recipe with canned pumpkin purée and it turned out great in the air fryer at 375 for 10 min per batch (9 min for the last batch because the tray was only half full). Only used 1/4 tsp salt for the whole thing and it was perfect for us.
Great!
great idea! i have extra canned pumpkin i need to use up. would they stay good in the freezer for as long?
Can you freeze this after baking? So excited to try this recipe!!
Yes, let cool and freeze in a freezer bag. Then you can warm in a 375 degree F oven for about 4 minutes to get them crispy again.
Made these for the first time today, only had a puree package that was “apple, sweet potato and carrot” .. with the onion powder, garlic and salt you don’t even notice! Kids and mom love them! They will be a regular from now on!
I want to try this but my little girl is a sweet potato hater! Any suggestions? Thanks!
Maybe try regular chicken nuggets instead? https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/baked-chicken-nuggets/
We have been enjoying these for a while now. So, so good. It is now in our regular rotation.
A couple weeks ago though I had no sweet potatoes on hand. And no squash. I took a chance and used pumpkin puree instead 🫣.
The orange colour was a little more overwhelming, but they were still a huge hit. 🙂
Added some extra herbs and spices, but this was such a hit with both of my kids! So much healthier than the frozen ones my daughter loves. Quick and easy to make, will definitely keep this in rotation!
I have tried this and my picky toddler loved eating this. Feels good to know that he is eating nutritional foods rather than junk. Thank you so much for recepie. I’m going to try more
What temperature would you reheat from frozen in the air fryer? Also for how long?
I do 375 for 4 minutes from frozen
Thank you!
Can you freeze after cooking? You usually include that instruction if you can but I don’t see it here
Hi, yes, let cool and add to a freezer bag in a single layer. I like to put into a 375 degree oven on a baking sheet for about 6 minutes or you can pop them into a toaster oven or air fryer for a few minutes if you prefer.
My 14 month old loves these! I am going to try ground turkey today to mix it up. I stored another batch made with chicken vacuum sealed and froze and they stored well and reheated great. All kids must love chicken nuggets I’m convinced! Love to be able to make them instead of store bought 🙂
I’m so glad!
Would this recipe work if I made my own breadcrumbs from sandwich bread ? I forgot to buy some at the store.
It should!